Air guide device



Nov. 25, 1958 M. M. GRACER 2,861,597

AIR GUIDE DEVICE v Filed June 23, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Marfin grace-rBY W 4110M Nov. 25, 1958 GRACER v 2,861,597

AIR GUIDE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23. 1953 I NVEN TOR.

Martin racer fi n12, RNEY} 7 United States Patent 2,861,597 AIR GUIDEDEVICE Martin M. Gracer, Levittown, N. Y.

Application June 23, 1953, Serial No. 363,640

6 Claims. (Cl. 138-39) This invention relates to duct constructions ofventilating and air conditioning systems and more particularly to theassembly of supporting rails, and for vanes or blades for attachmentthereto of these elements, and still more particularly to a method ofuniting vanes to the blade rails employed in ducts of ventilating andair conditioning systems.

It is an object of this invention to provide a vane or blade supportingrail and method for making the same used in elbows or turns of ducts inventilating and air conditioning systems, in which the blades areassembled with the rails assuring silent operation, ease of joiningwhereby simple assembly tools may be employed to construct and installthe same and in which either single or double vaned blades may beemployed, utilizing simple metal stampings of low cost withoutsacrificing rigidity of construction.

The invention has for its object the provision of a blade rail andmethod in which blades or vanes may be assembled in elbows or turns ofducts of ventilating and air conditioning systems characterized by theprovision of a blade rail made from fiat stock, into which is formedslitted protrusions in which the blade or vane may be arcuatelysupported, and further characterized by so forming the slit andprotrusion to serve as a guide for efliciently and simply uniting theblade to the rail by simple expedients, and still further characterizedby the formation of vane retaining protrusions facilitating thetemporary union of the vanes and rails as well as to efiect anengagement assuring silence of operation and eliminating any loosenessof fit causing air vibratory noises in the ventilating or airconditioning, systems.

Still further objects of this invention reside in the provision of a'blade rail to which blades may be quickly and efiiciently united by theformation of flat stock sheet metal and forming thereon joint outliningprotrusions susceptible of formation by simple metal stamping dies, toeffect in such parts edge guides for the'blades hold ing the same inpredetermined arcuate position, with minimum clearances to prevent windrattles and consequent noises, and to provide for a method of assemblyof the blades and rails requiring no expensive soldering, welding, orblazing operations to assure rigidity of union.

To attain these objects and such other objects as may appear herein orbe hereinafter pointed out, reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentaryplan view of a sheet metal stock for a blade rail at the initial stagesof production;

Figure 2 is a similar view at the final stage thereof;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the joint formed with the bladeattached thereto;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, illustratingthe working tool in position; e a

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a duct with a blade rail and blade inposition;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of a rail in accordance 2,861,597 PatentedNov. 25, 1958 ICC 2 with my invention as applied to a double layeredblade;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of a duct with a plurality of blades inposition in accordance with my invention;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a protrusion for anotherembodiment of my invention;

Figure 10 is a section taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line 11--11 of Figure 9.

Making reference to the drawing, it is contemplated by my invention toprovide blade rails which are angularly positioned in the elbows orturns of ducts in ventilating or air conditioning systems to support oneor several blades normally thereto, thereby to effect an efiicientcirculation of the air projected through the ducts in accordance withwell known principles of air circulation. For this purpose, a pair ofrails edgewisely support one or more blades which are arcuately formedto assume a shape influencing an efficient air circulation.

In accordance with this invention, a blade rail serves as the-medium forsupporting the blades in butt-joint contact by the formation of a jointangularly positioned to hold the blade in predetermined arcuateposition. Accordingly in the method contemplated by me, a strip of fiatstock sheet metal forming the rail 10 is initially stamped to formangularly directed slots 11 and 12 which are positioned in relation tothe longitudinal axis of the rail 10 and to each other to have the endsof the slots 12, 13, 14 and 15 substantially fall on the arc, definingthe desired curvature of a blade in the duct of the elbow or corner ofthe ventilating system. Upon formation of a rail 10 with a plurality ofslits 11, 12 arranged in rows over the length of the blade, the stock soproduced is then subjected to a stamping operation to form a localizedprotrusion 16 preferably of generally ovoid outline with the longestaxis intersecting the axial line acute With relation to each other andof the slot at an acute angle. The stamping die which is chosen to formthe protrusion 16 is calculated to raise edges defining the walls 17 and18 out of the plane of the rail 10 to form the off-sets 19 and 20 andopposed edges 21 and 22, distended in dimension with relation to theends of the slots thereby to progressively taper the dimensions of theedges 20 and 21 to a more constricted size adjacent the face of the rail10 at the ends 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the slots previously described. Theprotrusion thus made forms upstanding walls on the front face 22a and asocket 23 on the rear face 24.

' In the more specific embodiment involving the formation of theprotrusion, I employ a stamping die which outlines a guide seat 25 ofelongated dimensions, the long axis of which OO' is positioned withregard to the axis YY of the slot (11 or 12) by an angle which ispreferably an angle of between 30 to 45. The protrusion on the frontface and the socket on the rear face is made by a stamping die employinga male and female die, backed by a pressure pad calculated to spread theedges 21 and 22 of the slot from each other to contour the slot in thetapering dimension previously described, as well as to form the outlinecomprising the angle guide and working tool or chisel seat as will beapparent from the description which proceeds.

With the formation of the protrusions as described, as embly of theblade with relation to the rail is effected by positioning the blade 27with edge 28 directed into a pair of slots 11 and 12, contoured orprotruded in accordance with the manner already described. The taperedwalls of the protrusion extending from the ends of the slot initiallywill wedge the blade 27 up to the point where the edge 28 contacts theflat front face 22a of the rail. A'close tolerance of fit is therebyprovided, permitting the use of stock of sheet metal of variousthicknesses within limits without the necessity of accurately relatingthe stock available to the dimensions of the slot in the protrusions.

A slight blow of the hammer at the point Where the protrusions envelopethe blade will provide a binding fit, clamping the parts togethertemporarily with sufficient engagement frictionally to facilitatehandling and to take up any play, causing rattling by reason of the handcontouring of the blade 27 to the arcuate position. With a pair of rails10 thus assembled and sandwiching the blades therebetween in number asfound desirable, final union may be effected at the joints.

It will be observed that the protruding portion of the edge 28 in thesocket 23 of a rail exposes a short segment of a web angularly extendingin the socket 23 with respect to the guide 25. In the assembled portionof the rail and blades, a simple metal working tool such as a chisel 29,preferably one which has its working edge 30 ground to about 90 cuttingedge, is positioned to have the axis of the cutting edge arranged inparallelism to the axis -0 of the angle guide or chisel seat. In thisposition a blow of the hammer to the web shears it to split the web intooppositely folded segments 31 and 32 to the limits of engaging the sidewalls of the socket portion 23 of the, rear face.

A quick shearing action of the chisel as its reache the chisel seatalong the guide line 0-0 may cause the chisel to engage the wall of thesocket 23 as the folded segments 31-32 are formed to press the rail intocontact with the blade edge 28. Where the sheet metal of the blade 27makes a close fit with the slot, further engagement is assured to takeup any play tending to cause rattling movement. The completion of theunion of the blade and the rails permits the assembly of the rails andblade into a duct D shown in Figure 6 by the usual procedure in theelbow E.

Setting a pair of rail and the proper number of blades in position maybe effected without fear of dislodging or loosening the connectionbetween the blades and the rails, no riveting, notching, brazing orspot-welding or any special tools being required to assure theproduction of a rattle-free assembly, the union at the joints beingeffected by the method described without distortion of the blades orspecial edge contouring of the protruding Web or folded sections on therear face of the rail.

By the formation of a rail as described, providing a fiat abuttingsurface for the blade, either single blades may be employed or doubleblades may be employed without changing the rail or multiplying theprotrusions to take care of the double sheets of a double-layered blade.

This is exemplified in Figure 7 wherein the rail 10 is shown with theprotrusions 16 as initially described. In this embodiment, however, theblades 27a are extended to hold at the ends by a folded edge 27b thesecond layer 27c of greater curvature, to secure the known and desirableaerodynamic benefits in blades of this construction.

As will be observed from an inspection of Figure 11, the forward bladesegment 27a enters the slot 11 of the protrusion to extend the edge 28ato the rear face thereof. The rearward plate 270 has its edge 23b inbuttjoint contact with the face 22a of the rail.

Thus, by the construction described, no special preparation need be madeof a rail 10 to adapt it for use with a single-layered blade or adouble-layered blade in the ventilating and air circulating systems inwhich these devices are to be used.

In Figure 8 the rail if! supporting a plurality of blades 27 is shown inthe elbow of a duct, the protrusions which hold the blades offering noobstructing influence to the circulation of air and the entire passage Pbetween the blades being negligibly altered by the localized protrusionswhich form the edge joints for the blades.

While I have shown in the prior embodiments the employment of aprotrusion having a slot outlined by the flattened offsets 25,outliningchisel guides and seats with the arrangement that the slotdefining walls are angularly related to the chisel guide and seat at anacute angle, 1 may make the protrusion for a chisel seat as shown inFigures 9 and 10, employing however an indexing guide 25a extendingangularly with relation to the axis Y-Y' of the slot for an acute angle,as previously described in the first embodiment, to wit, at an anglebetween 30 to 45 to each other. The indexing line 25a serves as a guidefor the chisel edge 30 to effect the desirable shearing action, to foldthe segment 31 and 32 in effective locking relation to the rear surfaceof the protrusion.

While I have described the formation of the portrusions in the sequenceof, first, stamping the sheets with the slot 11 before die-stamping toform the protrusions, in that the use of two-part dies with pressurepads, spreads the wall defining the slot 11 to the desirable funnel ortapering shape arrangement, useful in frictionally wedging the bladethereinto, it will be understood that the locking joint or slot formedin the protrusion may be eflfected by a sequence of operations involvingfirst forming the protrusion and then forming the slots by a die orsaw-cut. This latter procedure, however, is deemed to be less desirablein that there is a tendency to form a slot whose walls are uniformlyspaced from each other and thereby to lose the benefits of thefrictional wedging action and driving fit connection.

By the provision of a rail having the funnel shaped or wedge shaped slotextended across the protrusion, a rail having minimum air resistance isfurnished, providing a preliminary union of the butt end of the bladewhen driven into the funnel shaped slot, thereby permitting sheet metalto be used for the blade within wide tolerances of its thickness.Further, by providing an angularly directed chisel guide and seat,effective shearing action of the locking joint may be secured withoutdistortion characteristic of a peening hammer and the necessity forusing special tools. A better gripping action is thereby secured,wedging the sheared web segments into forming engagement, stiffening thesheet metal at the point of engagement and minimizing wind rattlingaction which is experienced in cold joints.

Furthermore, by maintaining the rail preponderantly fiat, single ordouble sheeted blades may be employed, the rail serving effectively as asupport for either form of blade which may be selected.

Accordingly, large economies in assembly as well as in the parts thereofare achieved.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A blade rail for the purposes described comprising sheeted metalformed with spaced apart, localized protrusions outlining an angularslot with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rail, positioned tocoincide with a predetermined arc, the walls of each of which slotstaper from the base of the protrusion forwardly from the face of thesheet where by the forcing of a blade into the slots of the protrusionsto effect a but-joint engagement to each side of the protrusions, apreliminary frictional union of the butt end of the blade is effectedwithin the slots, and thereby permitting sheet metal to be used for theblade within wide tolerances of thickness, and minimizing wind rattlingaction when the projecting end of the blade is bent into engagement withthe protrusion.

2. An elongated rail of flat stock sheet material having parallellongitudinal edges, said rail having a plurality of localizedprotrusions formed therein extending away from the face of said rail onone side thereof, said rail having a plurality of narrow spaced slotscut across said protrusions, said slots being arranged in at least twolaterally spaced longitudinal rows, which rows are parallel to eachother and to the longitudinal edges of said rail, each of said rowsbeing positioned close to a different one of said longitudinal edges,the slots in each row being parallel to each other and at an angle tothe slots in the other row so that if lines were drawn through saidslots, these lines would intersect at a point on said rail between saidslots, the rail having preponderantly flat areas between the protrusionsrunning along the longitudinal edges of the rail, thereby minimizing theobstructing influence to the circulation of air in the passage betweenblades which may be aflixed therein and being negligibly altered by thelocalized protrusions which form the edge joints for the blades, theflat surface between protrusions thereby permitting single or doublesheeted blades to be engaged with the rail, without increasing thenumber of slotted protrusions where double sheeted blades are employed.

3. An elongated rail in accordance with claim 2, wherein said slots ofsaid rail have a funnel-shaped contour, flaring from the base of theprotrusion to the outer portions thereof, whereby a preliminary union ofthe butt end of the blades may be secured when driven into thefunnel-shaped slots.

4. An air guide device comprising a plurality of curved guide blademembers arranged in mutually spaced relationship to each other, saidguide blade members being rectangular in shape, with smooth, straighttop and bottom edges, a top rail having a plurality of downwardlyextending projections formed therein and a bottom rail having aplurality of upwardly extending projections formed therein, each of saidrails being of strip material having parallel longitudinal edges, saidtop rail and bottom rail having a plurality of spaced narrow elongatedslots cut entirely across said projections, and said slots beingfunnel-shaped flaring from the base of the projections adjacent thefaces of the rails outwardly, said projections and said guide blademembers intersectcing within said slots so that portions of the top andbottom edges of said guide blade members project through said slots andare wedged into said slots, said guide blade members being secured tosaid rails by having the portion of said blades which project throughsaid slots in a bentover projection, said narrow elongated slots beingformed in laterally spaced longitudinal rows comprising a first row ofslots posistioned close to one of said longitudinal edges, substantiallyparallel therewith, and a second row of slots positioned close to theother of said longitudinal edges, substantially parallel therewith, saidfirst and second rows of slots being positioned substantially parallelto one another, the slots in each row being parallel to one another andat an angle to the slots in the other row so that if lines were drawnthrough said slots, these lines would intersect at a point laterallybetween said slots.

5. An air guide device in accordance with claim 4 wherein saidprojections are localized to provide preponderantly flat areas betweenprojectcions longitudinally 6 of said rail, whereby single or doublesheeted blades may be employed withoutincreasing the number of the slotsand the air passage between the blades being negligibly altered by thelocalized protrusions which form the edge points for the blades.

6. An air guide device comprising a plurality of curved 7 guide blademembers arranged in mutually spaced relationship to each other, saidguide blade members being rectangular in shape, with smooth, straighttop and bottom edges, a top rail having a plurality of downwardlyextending projections formed therein and a bottom rail having aplurality of upwardly extending projections formed therein, each of saidrails being of strip material having parallel longitudinal edges, saidtop rail and bottom rail having a plurality of spaced narrow elongatedslots cut entirely across said projections, said projections and saidguide blade members intersecting within said slot so that portions ofthe top and bottom edges of said guide blade members project throughsaid slots and are wedged into said slots, said guide blade membersbeing secured to said rails by having the portion of said blades whichproject through said slots in a bent-over projection, said narrowelongated slots being formed in laterally spaced longitudinal rowscomprising a first row of slots positioned close to one of saidlongitudinal edges, substantially parallel therewith, and a second rowof slots positioned close to the other of said longitudinal edges,substantially parallel therewith, said first and second rows of slotsbeing posistioned substantially parallel to one another, the slots ineach row being parallel to one another and at an angle to the slots inthe other row so that if lines were drawn through said slots, theselines would intersect at a point laterally between said slots, saidprojections being localized to provide preponderantly flat areas betweenprojections longitudinally of said rail, whereby single or doublesheeted blades may be employed without increasing the number of theslots and the air passage between the blades being negligibly altered bythe localized protrusions which form the edge points for the blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS898,276 Sloan Sept. 8, 1908 1,996,596 Smith Apr. 2, 1935 2,110,201Cornell Mar. 8, 1938 2,216,046 Peck Sept. 24, 1940 2,264,897 Becker Dec.2, 1941 2,292,246 Steifens Aug. 4, 1942 2,396,826 Callan Mar. 19, 19452,826,221 Speiser Mar. 11, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 481,927 Canada Mar. 25,1952

